Rank X
by NinjaSquid7
Summary: Tsuyu Aikawa (梅雨 相鮎) finally made it. He reached Rank X! As he expected, a letter arrived and Tsuyu gets invited to his inauguration ceremony. He can hardly wait to meet other X -fighters, but the inauguration ceremony turns out to be quite different than Tsuyu expected and he reveals the darkest secrets of his own kind.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter - I

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 _When smoke rises from the seven rings,_

 _The [sic] pinkfish will emerge from the sea,_

 _devouring all the creatures of the land._

The Book of Madai, chapter 10, verse 10

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:::

Tsuyu was the proudest Inkling of Inkopolis—he finally made it! After years of training and countless turf and rank matches, Tsuyu had reached the highest possible rank an Inkling can get—Rank X. Overjoyed, he unfolded once more the letter he recently got, to read it again.

„Dear Tsuyu Aikawa (梅雨 相鮎),

the Inklings of the Grand Jury are pleased that you are now a member of the X-fighters. For this solemn occasion we would love to invite you to our next meeting so that you can participate at our events. You will also undergo our inauguration ceremony with other new X-fighers to become a real member of us.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon,

president of the Grand Jury, Numa Akagawa (沼 赤川)"

Tsuyu had the feeling a silly smile was adorning his face since he got the letter. He was on his way to the meeting, a secret place as far as Tsuyu knew. Nobody but the X-fighters and the Grand Jury knows where the meeting will take place, the whole matter is a bit conspiratorial and kept secret. If you're not a X-fighter it is none of your business.

The familiar scent of the salty sea breezed wistfully through the big town as if it desired to devour the rest of the land as well. As much as Tsuyu loved the scent of the ocean, he also feared it—like every Inkling who is of sound mind. The salty air of the sea was mixed with the scent of food that was sold everywhere, and ink which young Inklings sprayed for fun. Tsuyu was too nervous to eat. At home he was sitting in front of his full fridge and his mother asked if she should make him his favorite breakfast, but Tsuyu declined with thanks. Because of excitement, his stomach felt like someone has made a knot in it.

Further and further Tsuyu followed the directions of his letter, busily cars passed him, Inklings were everywhere, sitting on benches or sidewalks, chatting and showing each other videos on their squidphones. Tsuyu would love to shout at their faces that he made it while they're wasting their day with social networks, but he hold himself back. Not yet.

Bit by bit Tsuyu faltered in his buoyant pace until his boneless legs came to a halt. The summerly heat scorched him, he brushed sweat off his forehead and sighed. Was he really in the right place? Carefully Tsuyu checked the directions to make sure he didn't get lost or take a wrong turn. He just couldn't be right, that's impossible.

Tsuyu was in the Salmonid Quarter. Here live the so called Salmon Runners, a horribly old clan of Inklings who have resided in this place for a terribly long time. They are responsible for procuring Salmonid eggs and pushing Salmonids back into the salty floods, fearlessly and bravely, when they try to get on land. The Salmon Runners are an important part of the Inkling society, that's out of question and their duty for the society Tsuyu lives in is even vital, but no Inkling who wasn't born into the Salmon Runner clan becomes voluntarily one of them! This job is literally hell! These people got their own cemetery for good reasons. If the rumors Tsuyu once heard are true, then the most graves are empty. It's said Salmonids rip Inklings into pieces when they can catch one.

Only a handful of former turf fighters hole up in the Salmonid Quarter and dare to challenge the rough sea. Tsuyu didn't know any Salmon Runner at first hand but sometimes he saw them visiting the city; with this contemptuous face expression and that tired smile, they seem to save for young turf fighters only, working on their career. The Salmon Runners are wearing striking gear: orange colored overalls, green swampers and funny caps on which they tend to tap proudly. Tsuyu shunned them and the Salmon Runners expect that. Their faces are looking all so much the same and all of them prefer a bright orange for their tentacles and most of them have these piercing blood red eyes. They target other Inklings with their look as if they see a Salmonid rather than one of their own kind. The eye color belongs to the things an Inkling cannot change by will and it is no secret that the Salmon Runners prefer to stay with themselves. A sworn society of "warriors" of special kind who served the Inkling society even before the Great Turf War and even long, long time before that. Without underplaying, it is sure that the Salmon Runners have their very own culture, own stores, own gear, own social networks and even an own sense of humour, own proverbs and idiom other Inklings can barely understand—all of which the Salmon Runners can call their own.

And that's exactly where Tsuyu Aikawa was right now—in the Salmonid Quarter, standing on a sidewalk, staring at the dark orange colored house facades and checking the directions over and over. Why the ink do the X-fighters want to meet here?! What business do the X-fighters have with the Salmon Runners?

Tsuyu had a terrible hunch! What if he had been tricked? Maybe someone sent him the wrong letter, or had the inauguration ceremony meant for him to make a fool of himself here? Unhappy, Tsuyu was chewing on his bottom lip, not knowing if he should go on or not, and if not what shall he do then?

"Akagi, look!"

Tsuyu flinched heavily. Too late, he was seen. Well, that was just a question of time until a Salmon Runner notices him—Tsuyu stands out of of this place with his clothes and presence like an Octarian at the Inkopolis Plaza.

Two young Salmon Runners, as old as Tsuyu, ambled casually in an exaggerated manner and with wry smirks on their faces towards him, their hands tucked in baggy trouser pockets and their red eyes analyzing Tsuyu from tentacle to toe.

One of the Salmon Runner had a tentacle hanging sideward over his face and showed provokingly his sharp teeth to Tsuyu.

"Where ye goin', turf fighter? Got lost?"

Tsuyu didn't know what to say and his insecurity amused his counterpart visibly.

"Is our little turf fighter scared? Did mommy and daddy say, ye're good for nuffin' but collecting eggs?" hissed the young Salmon Runner and squinted his eyes to threatening slits.

His lips tightly pressed together Tsuyu shook his head insistently. The last thing he wanted was a fight with a Salmon Runner, he couldn't stand a chance against one, not to talk about two at once.

The other Salmon Runner had seen Tsuyu's letter and gave his friend or relative a little nudge, then pointed at it.

"What's that, Dotani?"

Before Tsuyu could make a single move, the Salmon Runner called Dotani, snapped the letter out of Tsuyu's hand and read it in no time at all.

„X rank, yeah? Got this lately, yeah?"

Tsuyu tried to get his letter back vehemently. "Yes, I did. That's mine, give it back!"

Dotani clicked his tongue and did what Tsuyu wanted. Surprised, he took his letter. Baffled, Tsuyu eyed the two Salmon Runner Akagi and Dotani distrustfully. Dotani passed Tsuyu, the X-fighter looked at him confused. What in the world was that? After a few yards Dotani turned around and waved his hand, showing Tsuyu that he was supposed to follow.

"Coming? Did ye put down roots? Hopp, hopp, we're late, X-fighter. Don't have all day! They won't wait for ye!"

If there was something else, beside all those same looking faces, then it was that annoying dialect the Salmon Runners speak and which caused an uncomfortable sensation on Tsuyu's skin. Insecure, he followed his new company, his head withdrawn between the shoulders, hoping he wasn't about to make a terrible mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

The other Salmon Runner, Akagi—taller than Dotani, and his tentacles carefully hidden beneath his cap—followed Tsuyu and his colleague around the next corner. Akagi tapped Dotani on his shoulder, Dotani just nodded and Akagi disappeared in another street.

To divert himself, Tsuyu read nervously the street names they were passing: Steel-Eel-Street, Fly-Fish-Alley, Cohock-Corner, Maws Avenue and so on. Almost all houses had the same color, crooked doors and windows, opaque window glasses and worm-eaten wood. They emitted a very old aura and the color was peeling off everywhere. Tsuyu saw wilted flowers in neglected flower boxes. If a Salmon Runner has to leave their home out of the blue to push back a salmonid invasion, then there is hardly time to care for the plants, but the wish they could, was withering sadly here and there. On the walls were smearings everywhere, apparently made from young Salmon Runners in training, who consider themselves as the more important part of the Inkling society, though also don't want to be a part of—ironically.

It's a long time ago, Tsuyu felt so uncomfortably in his own skin. The last time he felt so excited and misplaced was in his first rank match which he lost terribly. Imploringly, he hoped that the outcome of this event will be in his favor.

"The Strawberry Chasm, X-fighter."

Tsuyu almost bumped into Dotani who abruptly came to a halt. The Salmon Runner pointed with his gloved hand at a decayed tunnel, its inner parts were ominously glowing in red.

"What... ?" Tsuyu stuttered and backed instinctively off.

And that's where he was supposed to go in?! How stupid Dotani thinks he is?!

The Salmon Runner rolled annoyed his blood red eyes. "Hurry up, X-fighter! We gotta go in there! Down there it is, the meeting! Ye wann participate, don't ye?"

Dotani surely had some good character traits, but patience was not part of it. He grabbed Tsuyu's hand without further ado and dragged the insecure Inkling into the dark tunnel. Tsuyu noticed that the further parts of the tunnel were illuminated by little oil lamps which clawed into the cracked walls.

Tsuyu had a pungent smell in his nose of decomposition and decay. The walls glowed greasily in the glooming gleam of the lamps and grotesque shadows slid over the walls, eerily dancing. The sound of faint dripping water that seeped through the rock echoed in the darkness, and the tingling on Tsuyu's skin became worse—it seemed the Salmon Runner lead Tsuyu into the throat of a horrible beast. Tsuyu's knees were shaking—in what uncharted abysm is he about to go?

"Why is everything here so... Uhm, you know what I mean...," Tsuyu mumbled shivering and followed stumbling his rude companion.

"Algae, odd type, growin' here, causing no trouble, we leave 'em alone. That's why the name—Strawberry Chasm. We thought that sounds nicer than... uhm... What was the name we had in mind first? Ah, yeah, Bloodshed Canal. We thought, newbies like ye wouldn't stop cryin' then," Dotani explained without glancing over his shoulder and chuckled spitefully.

"They're almost all like ye, X-fighter."

Tsuyu made it to free his hand from Dontani's iron gripp, and to prevent Dotani from longing after his hand again, Tsuyu hurried to keep up with him.

"My name is Tsuyu! Tsuyu Aikawa! What do you mean by: they're almost all like me?" the young Inkling asked angered, rubbing his wrist while he tripped here and there over elevations.

"Excited like little Smallfries, nervous nibbles, thinking, we're up to somethin' terrible with 'em, thinking, this's a bad joke of the Grand Jury," Dotani told Tsuyu cheerfully, as if this is his favorite part of this trip.

Tsuyu had many questions but didn't dare to ask a single one of them. Why is the Grand Jury in contact with the Salmon Runners? Why don't the meetings take place in a fancy house in Inkopolis city but here, where death could come upon one? Why does Dotani show him the way without asking any questions? Why didn't the letter tell Tsuyu, a Salmon Runner would take care of him?

"Bet ye're baffled, having questions, wanna know a lot. They all do," Dotani mumbled while the two Inklings went deeper and deeper into the Strawberry Chasm.

Tsuyu lost his sense of time in the red gloom. He cleared his throat so his voice wouldn't sound as pathetic as he felt.

"Well, none of this makes much sense to me…"

They left the main path and followed several branches which looked all the same to Tsuyu. After no time at all he couldn't tell the way out of this labyrinth of mildew and decay. Could this be the test? To get out of here? Will Dotani disappear suddenly, and only the echo of his spiteful chuckle will be left as Tsuyu's company? Hastily, Tsuyu tried to catch up with the Salmon Runner, who gave him a malicious smirk.

"This's never getting' old, always funny with ye Smallfries."

"You didn't answer my question! I said none of this makes much sense to me!" snarled Tsuyu, grinding his teeth.

It annoyed him that the young Salmon Runner seemed to know exactly what was running through Tsuyu's scared mind.

"Ye'll understand soon, they all do."

"I'm not all, I am Tsuyu!"

Dotani quickened his pace, Tsuyu was feeling uneasy and followed the Salmon Runner sprinting. Is the young X-fighter imagining that the lamps are becoming darker and darker or is it his fantasy which is playing tricks on him? Is the ancient darkness really reaching out for them? How old is this chasm? Where will it end?

After a while, which felt like an eternity, they stopped in front of an iron made door. It had a slewing ring that Dotani operated carefully. It looked like, as if he had to turn it into a certain direction, so that the door opens. Rubbing over his arms, Tsuyu waited shaking. His mouth was terribly dry and though Inklings detest water in big amounts, they need it—like every other form of life.

With a mournful groan the iron door opens. Heavily breathing, Dotani pushed it until the gap was wide enough for an Inkling to pass. The Salmon Runner showed Tsuyu with a nod, that he was supposed to go inside. Tsuyu peered distrustfully through the gap, looked into the moving darkness behind the door, what was only disturbed by the shaking lights of countless oil lamps.

"Hurry up, Tsu-chan! We're late, late I'm sayin'!" Dotani hissed, grabbed Tsuyu's shoulders and pushed him impatiently through the gap.

For a short moment, Tsuyu desiroused to hold onto the door, to push Dotani aside and to run away, far away, but Tsuyu suppressed this silly impulse and let Dotani shove him into the darkness. The last thing he wanted, was to act like a pathetic coward and certainly not in front of this haughty Salmon Runner!

Tsuyu found himself in a vast room, he stood in a huge arena of monstrous scales. The Inkopolis Plaza could be placed in here twice. The seating rows, made of eroded stone, reached to the centre, what was a wide basin—filled with greenish brown water, stale and very old. Poles were placed everywhere, the little oil lamps were attached to them and tried to illuminate the vast room. And on the seating rows…on the seating rows…

Tsuyu rubbed his tired and excited eyes, again and again, while his companion burst out in hotter laughter, resting on his scruffy knees, shaking of joy.

"This's it, always! Love it! Yer stupid faces! Never gettin' boring!"

If Tsuyu weren't that shocked, he might have replied that his face was at least unique, while Dotani's looked like any other Salmon Runner face, but his brain was too busy, it desperately tried to understand what Tsuyu saw.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

 **Author's note** :

I'm sorry it took such a long time until I found the motivation to translate the rest of my fanfiction. The story has only four chapters. I have no beta so far, so I can only hope there aren't any major mistakes. I am not a native speaker so forgive me odd sentences or phrases :]

Shivering, Tsuyu rubbed his eyes once again. Ocatarians everywhere! Plenty of them were bustling between Inklings on the seating rows and held conversations with Tsuyu's kind as if the Great Turf War had never happened. It was quite odd for him to see Ocatarians and Inklings talk to each other as if they were sitting in a café, having a good time.

"I… don't understand… what the…?!," Tsuyu stammered desperately and gestured towards an Octoling not far from him.

The Octoling stared at Tsuyu shamelessly.

Tsuyu just didn't know how to put all of this in words. Dotani recovered from his laughing and raised pleased off his knees then he patted Tsuyu on his shoulder and started to explain while he led his partner around.

"Tsu-chan, my friend, things are workin' differently down here than you're used to. Y'know, the Great Turf War—big deal but there is somethin' bigger, somethin' terrible, somethin' ye can't imagine—and we have to take care of it. It's not the Ocatarians an' we Inklings an' Salmon Runners are best buddies, I can tell! It's rather that we have da work together for da greater good. Y'all understand, sooner or later…"

But Tsuyu understood nothing. The Great Turf War was essential to the Inkling and Ocatarian societies; it made clear which territory belongs to who when the sea level rose further and further and land became scarce. The friendly relationship with the Ocatarians were replaced by a horrible war, something that couldn't be prevented according to those times. Now the Ocatarians have to live in the underground in complex cave system and barren land, they became a rare sight to any Inkling.

So what could be worse than the Great Turf War? What could make Octarians and Inklings work together?

"Dear Inklings, dear Octarians! The day has come again! We have gathered here to fulfill our duty!"

Tsuyu squinted his eyes and looked up to a balustrade where several young Inklings and Octolings stood—apparently, they are the ones in charge here. Tsuyu assumed the young Inkling woman who was speaking must belong to the Grand Jury.

"I, Numa Akagawa, chairwoman of the Grand Jury, welcome you. We also welcome our new X-fighters who shall gather here!" Numa Akagawa gestured directly beneath the balustrade.

Her eyes had the color of bright yellow and two purple colored tentacles framed her heart shaped face. She looked lovely but the way in which she was looking around wasn't and her smile seemed to be cold and aloof. A wave was running through the crowd and young Inklings—who looked as puzzled as Tsuyu felt—started to walk towards the marked spot. Dotani murmured and pushed his fosterling forward, Tsuyu shivered and started to move, his whole body under pressure. _What a horrible place_ , Tsuyu thought. It smelled terribly after stale water, algae, moisture and moldiness, it smelled after Octarians, at least Tsuyu thought so. They terrified him the most, he has never seen one in person, has never been so close to them. Immediately he remembered the horrible story young Inklings tell each other at school or when they wait for a match to start. The stories say Octarians eat Inklings if they have the chance to or enslave them to work for the Ocatarian cave systems—those kind of stories were running through Tsuyu's mind.

He wondered the most why they all had to gather around this huge basin. Was the inauguration ceremony about being hold under water? That would be insane! When Tsuyu reached the other newbies he heard excited whispers; everybody was wondering what was going on here but unfortunately none of them knew the answer. Tsuyu noticed that every new X-fighter had a Salmon Runner as companion.

"I will read now!" spoke Numa loudly, in her hands an old and tattered copy of the Book of Madai.

"When smoke rises from the seven rings,

The Red Fish will emerge from the sea,

devouring all the creatures of the land!"

Numa closed the book and reached for another one, which was even older looking. Tsuyu couldn't read the title, it was too far away.

"The Red Fish belongs to the Great Old Ones, we know that. A world changer, created by Shub-Niggurath, the black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!

Bring our tribute!"

All Inklings and Octarian were completely silent, the crowd divided without a single word to let through an Inkling and Octarian who were escorting a female Octoling in their middle. Tsuyu tried to get a good look of her. She was quite different looking, her skin was green, her eyes blindfolded and her tentacles had an unhealthy blue green color. Her walk seemed mechanical, her motions reminded Tsuyu on a doll.

"Why is she so different looking?" whispered an Inkling girl nervously, her face showing great fear.

"She got sanitized. We always do that," explained Dotani relaxed, his hand on Tsuyu's shoulder.

"Sanitized? What does that mean?" Tsuyu asked lowly.

"That she ain't no longer with us—mentally, I mean."

Tsuyu frowned. "But why? I mean, how –"

"I dunno how, only the Ocatarians do, they do that. And the reason y'all see soon…"

Dotani's amused attitude has changed to a serious one and Tsuyu had to admit, this frightened him even more.

"Call the Red Fish!" said Numa as loud as she could, then she kept reading out of her old book. "We call for you, Red Fish! Our blood is your blood, our world is your world, great world changer, your mother is our mother—Shub NIggurath! Her power is your power, your power shall be in our favor, Red Fish! Take our blood and give us time, world changer! Protect us from the terror, which dwells in the seas take our tribute! In the Name of the Unspeakable One!"

The green Octoling was led to the edge of the basin the Inkling next to her wore a gas mask so his face was covered. He took the wrist of the Octoling and held it over the water. In his other hand, he held a short knife.

"Hey, what is he doing?!" Tsuyu wanted to know in panic but Dotani hissed and squeezed his shoulder to quiet him.

The Inkling cut with the knife in the greenish palm until blood came which ran viscously over the hand and then dripped into the basin. During the process, the Octoling didn't react at all as if she had no sensation of pain.

"When smoke rises from the seven rings,

The Red Fish will emerge from the sea,

devouring all the creatures of the land!

When smoke rises from the seven rings,

The Red Fish will emerge from the sea…"

Tsuyu looked around, all Inklings and Octarians cited the sermon and stared with big, blank eyes at the basin—it seemed they were waiting for something to show up. Dotani spoke the words as well and with a nod towards Tsuyu he told him to do the same but Tsuyu was unable to say a single word and he wasn't alone. The other new X-fighters huddled together, their faces full of fear.

Suddenly something was moving in the murky basin. Big bubbles broke the mirror like water framed by algae. It looked like something huge exhaled under water for several minutes.

Tsuyu had a terrible hunch.

Like all Inklings, he knew about the Book of Madai and like the majority of Inkopolis' population, he didn't believe in it. He knew the Salmon Runner take the Book very seriously; they celebrate many "silly" rituals and pray to some odd gods for protection when they go to work. Tsuyu didn't know much about it but now he had the hunch the Red Fish might not be a fantasy.

More and more bubbles broke on the surface faintly, a big shadow moved beneath the water and waves broke on the stone basin loudly.

The Inkling with the gas mask and the other Octoling hurried to get away from the water while the green one motionless kept holding her hand over the basin.

"T-this thing… Does it really come…?" Tsuyu whispered terrified, his hand clawed in Dontai's arm who didn't seem to notice it at all.

Dotani was way to busy with citing the sermon and staring at the basin where something tremendous big was moving. When this something broke through the surface, Tsuyu saw big, red scales, a creature as big as the basin itself. A horrible sight, the young Inkling felt like he was losing his mind. Behind him the new X-fighters screamed in terror, one even tried to run off but a Salmon Runner hold him back and pushed him to the ground—while this happened, everybody kept citing as if something horrific would happen if they dare to stop.

"World changer, Red Fish! Our Tribute! She is yours! Give us time!" Numa screamed and tried to drown the countless voices around her.

The dreadful beast, big and red, turned to the motionless Octoling. Tsuyu wanted to look away but he couldn't move. The sermon and the hysterical screams were droning in his ears. He couldn't even make the faintest sound, his nails dig into Dotani's arm. His enraptured face expression was as horrible as the Red Fish.

The Fish took the Octoling's leg. A ripping Tsuyu had never heard before echoed through the arena and drowned effortless the cacophony of voices. The water got deep red, as red as the Fish whose jaws grinded. When Tsuyu heard the second leg ripping, a scream broke through the air. This scream was so full of pain and awareness, Tsuyu had to press his hands on his ears because he couldn't bear it any longer.

Apparently, the Octoling awoke from her hypnosis. Desperately, she tried to get away from the basin where the beast chewed on her leg and fiercely slapped with its flippers. The Octoling was still wearing the blindfolds, her hands clinging on the stone. With no legs she moved very slowly away from the water and lost vast amounts of blood which ran over the stone and into the water.

" _Help me! Help me, God…! Help me! HELP ME…!"_

The Red Fish stretched out of the water and devoured the screaming Octoling with an enormous bite.

Tsuyu finally made it to turn his eyes away and though he pressed his hands on his ears he thought he could to hear how the beast mangled and grinded his victim with his awful teeth.

Tsuyus fell to his knees, Dotani's hand still on his shoulder. He wished the darkness would come for him so he didn't have to see, hear and suffer any longer all of this. Forever.

 **Author's note** :

Maybe you noticed that I have changed "pink fish" to Red Fish. The German version of the sunken scroll says red fish and I wrote the story in German first. When I started to translate it, I noticed this difference. Well, "pink" doesn't sound very "threatening" so I decided to go with red. I hope you enjoyed it. The chapter shall follow soon.


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